Rope



R. F. WARREN, .JR

ROPE

April 3, 1945.

Filed Feb. 10. 1944 43 wulz/wtov RICHARD F. WARREN, JR.

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Patented Apr. 3,1945 i' UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE- ROPE Richard F.Warren, Jr., Stratford, Conn. Application February 10, 1944, Serial No.521,842

8Ciaims.

This invention relates to.new and useful improvements kin ropes orcables and has particular relation to a rope or cable for use alonghighl ways, to mark curves in the road, the presence of ditches at theside of the road, etc. Y

An object of the invention is to provide a highway rope or cableincluding means for reilecting back a portion of the light impinging onthe rope or cable from the headlights of an approaching vehicle.

Another object is to provide a highway rope or cable having means forreilecting back a portion of the light rays;` impinging thereon from theheadlights of an approaching vehicle and also having therein meansrendering the rope pr cable self-luminous whereby portions oi the ropeor. cable beyond the range or zone of the headlights of an approachingvehicle are also visible to indlcate a curve to one side or the other ofthe course of an approaching vehicle.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a. considerationof the following detailed description takenI in connection with theaccompanying drawing wherein satisfactory embodiments of the inventionare shown. However, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations andmodiilcations as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scopeof the appended claims. l

In the drawing- Fig. l is a side elevational view showing a rope orcable made in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through the rope oi Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view through an element orillament which'may be used in the rope of Figs. l and 2;

Flg.4isaviewsimilartoFla.3butshowingan element or filament from the ropeof Figs. l and 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3 but showing anothermodiilcatlon;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged side elevational view ofva short section oi' anelementor illament of the rope otfFigs. 1 and 2; Y

Fig. 'I is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 but showing another form of elementor filament;

Fig. 9 is a front elevational view showing a short section oi a rope orcable of another form;

Hg.10isasectionalviewtakenasalongthe out the mass of the plastic andwhen the iila- Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken as along the line ii-IIofFig. 9; and

Fig. 12 is atop plan view of the rope or cable section of Fig. 9.

The rope of the present invention may be made of plastic material andpreferably is made oi synthetic plastic materials. Vinylidene chlorideis an excellent plastic material for my purpose a1- though it will beunderstood that other plastics may be used in the making of my rope.Particularly other vinyl and styrene compounds may be used although itis to beunderstood that any of the other plastics as synthetic resins,natural and synthetic lastics, cellulose and its derivatives. proteinplastic substances and petroleum plastic derivatives, may be. used. Inshort I may use the various classes of plastic materials identified inmy copending application Serial Number 457,207, tiled September 3,.1942.

Referring in detail to the accompanying drawing and at rst moreparticularly to Figs. 1 and 2 a short section of rope is generallydesignated Il and the same is shown as made up of three strands Il, l2and I3 although it will be understood that the invention is not limitedto this particular structure. Each of the strands in its outer portionincludes at least one light reilecting element or filament il and atleast one luminous element or iilament I5. These elements or filamentsare of plastic material. The other elements making up the strands Il, I2and Il may be plastic filaments, and preferably are such illaments,although they may be of natural fibrous material or of steel, etc., itdesired.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of one of the iilamentsI5 and according to the invention a suitable luminous material, as aphosphorescent, a iluorescent or a radio active substance, is mixed withthe plastic while both materials are in powdered form or at any otherpoint in the rope making process prior to the extrusion of the plasticinto the filaments I5. In the drawing the luminous material is indicatedby the stippling and such material is distributed throughments II areformed the luminous material is distributed all through the filament andls not merely on the surface thereof to be. scratched or abradedtherefrom during twisting together of the illaments inmaking the rope orduring other handling of the rope or the illaments.

It will be understood that the luminousmaterialbeingdistributedthroughoutthemassot the plastic material it isnot n to the present invention that the filaments or rope elements be'in place of the laments I5.

formed bythe process of extrusion. The compound of plastic and luminousmaterial may be rolled into sheets and strips cut from the latter andtwister into filaments for use in place of the Fig. 3'shows a filamentI6 which may be used Filament I8 is shown as comprising a body I'I of asuitable plastic and on such body is a coating I8 of a luminousmaterial. To protect this coating against the weather, abrasion, and thelike, a coating or lm I9 is disposed over coating I8. Coating I9 lis ofa clear `or transparent and preferably weather proof plastic material asvinylidene chloride.

In addition to theabove constructions the luminous material may beworked into the plastic material and this mixture used as -a coating forthe body of a rope filament. Thus in Fig. is shown a lament body havingthereon a film or coating ZI comprising a mixtureof a plastic materialand a luminous material. Preferably the plastic material used in thismixture is clear or transparent for the reasons suggested above whenconsidering Figs. 4 and 3. With the construction of Fig. 5 as .with thesolid construction of Fig. 3 should the outer surface of the filamentsbe worn away new luminous material will be effective and the lamentswill retain their luminous properties even though theplastic used beopaque.

Figs. 6 and '7 are emerged views of one of the filaments I I. FilamentsI4 are designed to reflect back a portion of the light rays impinging onthe rope or cable I0 from the headlights of an approaching vehicle. Thusthese filaments are faceted to provide them with a multiplicityofreecting surfaces or faces. In the particular embodiment here underconsideration filament Il is provided with a multiplicity of reectingfaces in each of a series of depressions in the filament. The angularlyrelated faces comprising the surfaces of each depression 25 function asreflectors, and direct back and spread the light rays impinging on them.The precise form of the facets of lament I4 is not controlling.

Fig. 8 shows a modification of the light reflecting' filament and insuch ligure the filamentl shown is designated and the same is' of a.plastic material having embedded therein pieces or bits 3| of lightreflecting material 'Ihe particles` ticles, embedded in the body of thelament func- Y tion and it will be understood that on any wearing awayof the iilament other particles 3| will be l exposed whether the plasticis transparent or not. In fabricating the rope I0 it will -be understoodthat the filaments I5, I6 and 20 are approximate- Vly equivalents andthat laments IG and 30 are approximately equivalents. Preferably atleast one filament of the light reecting and luminous types is locatedin the outer portion of each `strand il,V I2 and I3 of the rope. Y Whenthe rope` lI 0 is used in a highway safety fence the filaments I4 willserve to vreiect back toward the driver of an approaching vehicle aportion of the light rays from the headlights of said'vehicle and thusthe driver will easily discern the location of the highway fence and beappraised of curves in the highway as marked by the presence of thefence.

In addition the filaments I5 of the rope I0 will be visible at nightwithout being struck by light beams as such filaments are self luminousand therefore visible in the dark. Thus filaments I5 will serve tonotify the driver of a vehicle of a turn or curve in a highway fencewhen such curve takes the fence to one side or the other of the beams ofthe headlights of the vehicle and in fact from a point beyond the rangeof the vehicle headlights.

Figs. 9 through 12 show another form of rope generally designated 40 andwhich is rather flat and tape-like as is clear from an inspection o!vself luminous and reflecting elements'substituted.

Thus in the drawing filaments M and I5 aro shown as substituted for theelements/4I at places toward the up'per and lower edges of the rope In'.Filaments M are the light reecting lamenta and laments 45 are the selfluminous filaments.

us filaments 44 are any of the filaments Ily and 30 above describedwhile filaments 45 are any of the filaments I5, I6 and 20 abovedescribed. 'I'he rope 40 may be used in place of the rope I0 and will.function in the manner described in connection with the rope I0.

To enhance the desired effect the body I1 of lament I6 and the filament20 are loaded with an opaque and preferably light reflecting anddiffusing material. Preferably the loading material is white andtitanium dioxide is suggested for the intended purpose. This white bodyat the inner sides of thecoatings I8 and 2 I of the respective lamentsampliiles the effectiveness of the luminous materials of the coatings I8and 2i.

Somewhat similarly the body or filament Il is-treated so that it isopaque and preferably it is loaded or lled with titanium dioxide orother white material so that light rays striking the surfaces of 'thedepressions 25` will not be absorbed by the body I4 but will bereflected back.

Having thus set forth the nature of myinvention, what I claim is:

1. In a rope, an elongated body comprising a plurality of. elongatedelements, and one of said elements faceted throughout its length toprovide' Y it with a series of reflecting surfaces for reflecting backlight rays impinging thereon.

2. A multi-strand highway rope or cable whereing vehicle.

3. In a multi-strand highway rope or` cable, a longitudinal element of aplastic material having embedded therein a plurality of light reecting:,smsos members for redecting back a portion of the light rays impingingon said element from the headlights of an approaching vehicle.

4, In a multi-strand highway rope or cable, a longitudinal element of aplastic material having distributed throughout its body a plurality oflight reflecting members for reflecting back a portion of the light raysimpinging on the element from the headlights of an approaching vehicle,and said plastic transparent whereby members completely embedded in saidelement participate in the reecting of such light rays.

`5. In a rope, an elongated body comprising a plurality ot elongatedelements, one of said elements faceted throughout its length to provideit with a series of light reflecting surfaces for renecting back lightrays impinging thereon, and said element of an opaque plastic material.

6.Inarope.anelongatedbodycomprisinga plurality of elongated elements,one of said elements faceted throughout its length to provide it with aseries of light reflecting surfaces for refleeting back light raysimpingin thereon, and said element of a white opaque plastic material.

7. A rope or cable comprising an elongated element faceted throughoutits length to provide it with a series of light reflecting surfaces forrefiecting back light rays impingfng thereon, and said element of anopaque plastic material.

8. A rope or cable comprising an elongated element faceted throughoutits length to provide it with a series of light reecting surfaces forreflecting back light rays impinging thereon.

RICHARD F. WARREN, Jn.

